Bag closure and method of making the same



J. M. DRIVER Filed March 19, 1934 10-1-l Il? BAG CLOSURE AND METHOD OFMAKING THE SAME Dec. 10, 1935.

Patented Dec. 10, 1935 lUNITI-:D s TArss BAG cLosUaE AND METHOD orMAKING rin: SAME u John M. Driver, San Francisco, Calif.

Application March 19, 1934, serial 10,716,259

y l 'sclaims (c1. 22e-si) This iinvention relates to a closure for theopen end of a tubular blank or bag, as well as to the method ofproducing said closure.

An object of the invention is to provide a clo-4 sure for the open endof tubular blanks orfbags, or envelopes by means'of which themerchandise contained within the blank, bag, or envelope,

will be prevented from escaping therefrom, as

well as prevent the ingress of outside air into the 1o blank bag, orenvelope, todeteriorate in whole or in part, the merchandise containedtherein.

A further object of .the invention is to provide a. closure for the openend of a tubular blank bag or envelope, formed out of thematerialadjacent the opene end of the blank bag, or envelope, by a succession'of diagonal and lateral folds, all of which are secured to the blankbag, or envelope,

and to each other. f A

- A still further object of the invention is to provide a closureforeither one or' both ends of a .tubular blank, out of which a bag orenvelope is to be formed, which will be superior in point of simplicity,inexpensiveness o'f construction,l posi-A tiveness of operation, andfacility and conven- 25 ience in use and general emciency.

In this specication and the annexed drawing, the invention isillustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to such form, because itmay be embodied in othery forms; and it is also to be understood that inand by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover theinvention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a plan View of a bag blank, or of a length oi tubematerial having the cre^ase lines indicated thereon, indicated to make aelosure for an end thereof.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the state of the which the nal step offolding the end closure is modined ircrn that shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

lFig. 7 is an enlarged section taken through Fig.

6 on theline "lii. r e is a vieta of a length ci tube or of a bag blank,having the crease lines at one `end`thereof to form a closure inaccordance with my invention. i

, Fig. 9 is a viewjllustrating the state of the blank shown in Fig. 8after the completion of the 5 folding operation. u

Fig. 10 is a cross section taken through Fig. 9 on the line lli-l0.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing comprises a..length of tubed material, .10 which in the process of manufacture Aisformed from a single width of 'material .in accordance with conventionalpractices The kopposite longi tudinal side edges of the tube may be ofthe straight type as shown, or said opposite side 15 edges may be foldedinwardly. It is a conventional and well-known practice in the industry,to make the side edges of the blank tubes with either the straight orfolded side edges heretofore referred to; 1ikewise, it is a conventional20 practice' in the industry to close one end of the v tube blank byaconventional system of folds. thereby to form a bag or envelope. Theclosed end of the bag thus becomes, in practice; the bottom end of thebag. The standardized method 25 of closing the bottom end of a bag orenvelope provides a closure which does not hermetically seal the partstogether, and as a result merchandise within the bag may work its wayout, or atmospheric air may pass into the bag to 'deteriorate 30 thefreshness of the contents of the bag.

Bags or envelopes which are formed in the usual way out of any of thewell-known bag materials, such as pulp stock, rag stock, waxed paper,glassine, transparent regenerated cellulose, or the 35 like, usuallyhave the bottom end thereof sealed -or closed by the standardized typeof fold. Where the bag or envelope is made ci moisture-proof materialsuch as treated paper, or treated regenerated. cellulose, to lpreventmoisture attacking 40..

vof making bags or envelopes. This tubed material may be of any materialout of which it is possible to form bags, envelopes, or the like. In 50Fig.v 1, I have shown e. length 'or blank of material indicated by thenumeral i. at either one or the other or both of the open ends of theblank i, I fold the opposite corners 2 and incn massaal crease lim enteci or face of the blank, so that an edge of the folded I co'rner 3 willoverlap and lie on top of the folded corner 2.- At the point where thefolded corners overlap, the same would be preferably secured to eachother by an adhesive, either externally applied, or contained within thebag material.

Likewise, thegfolded corners Zand 3 would be joined to the face -of thebag over which they lie,l by some conventional securing means oradhesive.

In the second stepmf; forming my closure, I

fold the end of the bag or blank on a transverse Yso line 1, within thearea of the folded corners, and

suitably secure the same onto the theretofore .folded corners 2 and 3,by means of adhesives or lthelike. The fold line 1` is arrangedlaterally or transversely, relative to the longitudinal axis of the bagor blank, and when the said end of the bag is folded on the line 1, asheretofore described, a seal isl provided which prevents the ingress ofair into the bag. 'I'he tijanglilarend portion 8 of the bag,` in orderto further close off the possibility of the bag contents escaping, maybe folded inwardly on the transverse line 9 between the face of the bagand the overlapping folded corners, as shown in Fig. 4, or, foldedinwardly on the line 9 to lie against the outer face of the foldedcorners 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 5, or folded outwardly and downwardly,as shown in Fig. 6. Either of the positions into which the triangularportion 8 may be folded, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, are optional andeach is clearly within the purview of the invention. Irrespective of thepositon into which the triangular portion 8 is folded, it is suitablysecured onto that portion of the ,bag against which it lies, either bymeans of adhesive', or the like.

Itis to b e understood that the rst and second ,steps of forming the endclosure as shown in Figs. 2 and A3, as well as the final step shown inFigs. 4, 5, and 6, are eeoted mechanically and automatically. Where theopen end of a bag is folded and closed in the manner heretoforedescribed and illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6,*it'is impossible for thebag contents to escape, and where the bag is made' out of moisture-proofmaterial, such as waxed paper, or treated regenerated cellulose, the endclosure itselfforms a hermetic seal, which prevents outside air fromentering the bag and deteriorating the contents.`

It is to be understood that the illustrations shown in Figs. 4, 5, and6, are not intended to depict solely the idea of forming a closure forwhat might be indicated as the bottom of a bag, but that the identicalclosure might be formed on theupper end of the bag.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10, I have shown a tubular blank or bag Ill, whichhas the opposite corners Il and l2 of one end 'thereof folded ondiagonal lines into overlapped relationship, the same as il-y4 lustratedand described in connection with Fig. 2. In the modified form shown inFig.' 9, the trian' gular apex n of the blank is folded on a lateralline, back onto the face of the overlapping folded corners, and securedthereto Within the area of said folded corners by suitable securingmeans,

such as adhesive, or the like.

No matter what the material is out of which the bag may be formed, myparticular type of enclosure is one which I have found to be absolutely5 air tight. I have found that if a. bag which is made out ofwater-proof material, has an open end thereof closed by a closure foldedin accordance with my invention, that the said bag will hold water andnone of it will leak through the closure, and that the limit of timewithin which the bag will hold water, is dependent upon its resistanceto decomposing attack by the water. Obviously, a closure which issubstantially water tight, to hold water within a bag formed ofwaterproof material, will likewise prevent air from entering such a bagto deteriorate whatever merchandisel such a bag may contain.

Having' thus described this invention', what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: 1. In a tubular blank having square ends, a

permanent/closure for an end of said blank comprising corners at one endof said blank folded inward on one face o f the blank, whereby onecorner fold overlaps the other so as to position the adjacent edgesthereof parallel, and having the end of the blank and the folded cornersfolded upon the face of the folded corners and secured thereto.

2. In a tubular blank having square ends, a

permanent closure for an end of said blank comprising corners at one endof said blank folded 'inward on one face of the blank, whereby onecorner fold overlaps the other so as to position the adjacent vedgesthereof parallel, and having a portion of the end of the blank and thefolded corners folded upon the face of the folded corners and securedthereto, and the remaining portion of the end of the blank and thefolded corners refolded over upon itself and secured 40 thereto. 3. Inaltubular blank having square ends, a permanent Aclosure for. an end ofsaid blank comprising cornersat one end of said blank folded inward onone face of the blank so that the ad- 15 jacent edges overlap and areparallel to each other, and having the end of the blank and, the

' folded corners folded laterally and secured to the portion of the endof the blank and the folded corners folded upon the face of the foldedcorners and secured thereto, and the remaining portion of the end of theblank and the folded corners refolded over upon itself and securedthereto.

5. The method of permanently closing the square open end of a bag orblank, comprising,

ners to the face of the bag or blank, and folding y the end of the bagor blank on a transverse line 0 within the area ef the folded cornersand securing the same thfereto.

JOHN M. DRIVER.

